Liquid heavy duty cleaner and disinfectant



United States Patent 3,360,476 LIQUID HEAVY DUTY CLEANER AND DISINFECTANT Ewald H. Krusius, South River, N.J., assignor to FMC Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware v No Drawing. Filed Mar. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 353,244

3 Claims. (Cl. 252-107) This invention is concerned with cleaning and disinfecting compositions, and particularly to liquid compositions which are capable of heavy duty household and industrial cleaning and disinfecting use. It aims to provide an inexpensive cleaner characterized by a clarity which permits attractive packaging, excellent cleansing, disinfecting and grease-cutting properties, and resistance to near-freezing temperatures. The cleaners of this invention are designed to be easy on the hands of the user, by reason of their containing substantial quantities of emollient, and, in their preferred form, by reason of their having a pH of below about 10.5.

In accordance with my invention, I prepare liquid cleaning and disinfecting compositions with the above properties by combining about 3 to 12 parts by weight of an alkali metal phosphate (preferably a polyphosphate) with about 5 to parts by weight of a liquid watermiscible aliphatic alcohol, about to parts by weight of a liquid water-miscible glycol, about 5 parts by weight of a pine distillate, about 5 to 10 parts by weight of an alkali metal-fatty acid soap, and about 50 to 60 parts by weight of water. The alkali metal should be at least in part potassium, with or without sodium; if more than half of the alkali metal is potassium, the composition can have a pH of under 10.5 (generally .about 10.0) so that its action on the hands is not as severe as many heavy duty cleaners on the market.

The phosphate may be any of the conventional alkalimetal phosphates conventionally used in detergent compositions for improving the cleaning action of conven tional detergents. Trisodium phosphate, tripotassium phosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, tetrasodium and tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, and other similar products may be used in the compositions of this invention.

The alcohol is used in the composition for its solvent action on greasy materials. I can use any water-miscible aliphatic alcohol-cg. methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol of the ether alcohols derived from ethylene and propylene glycol, such as Cellosolve (the ethyl ether of ethylene glycol) or butyl Cellosolve (the butyl ether of ethylene glycol). I prefer isopropanol because of its low cost, and the fact that it is a somewhat better grease solvent t-han methanol or ethanol.

The glycol is used in the composition for its emollient and coupling properties. It may be a simple glycol (e.g. ethylene or propylene glycol) or a glycol ether (e.g. diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol). Propylene glycol is preferred for cost reasons and low toxicity.

The pine distillate is used both for its grease-cutting and disinfectant properties. Turpentine or other pine distillates may be used; pine oil is preferred for its low cost, pleasant odor and excellent disinfecting properties.

Any conventional alkali metal fatty acid soap can be used, although a white soap is preferred for aesthetic reasons. Sodium or potassium stearate, or the soaps of coconut oil fatty acids, or commercial soaps may be used.

In order to get suflicient solubility of the soap and phosphate in the water of the composition, it is necessary that at least about 10% of the alkali metal by total weight be potassium. In the preferred form of this invention, the alkali metal is at least half potassium and the rest sodium; at this level, sufficient solubility is obtained at pHs below 10.5 to produce cleaners which have a very mild action on the hands of the user.

Water is ordinarily used to bring the composition up to parts by weight. However, minor additions of other ingredients can be made. For example, in low potassium cleaners a small amount of alkali metal hydroxide is desirable to insure stability of the cleaner; a few percent of petroleum distillate can be added with the pine oil; and minor additions (e.g. optical brighteners) can be dissolved or suspended in the cleaner for special purposes.

In making the cleaners, the preferred technique is to dissolve the phosphate in the water, add the alcohol, pine distillate and glycol, and finally dissolve the soap. In each case, the addition of the soap clears up the cloudy solution that is formed, and results in the clear composition of this invention.

Typical examples of the invention are given here, for the sake of illustration and not of limitation. All parts are by weight.

Example 1 3 parts of trisoduim phosphate and 1 part of potassium hydroxide were dissolved in 56 parts water; 10 parts of butyl Cellosolve were then added, followed by 5 of pine oil and 20 of propylene glycol. 5 parts of sodium stearate were then dissolved in the cloudy liquid, which then cleared up to a pale straw liquid with a pH of 12.25. It solidified on being kept at 35 F. for 18 hours, but on rewarming to ambient temperature (ca. 70 F.) the product became a clear liquid.

The product had excellent cleaning and disinfecting properties.

Example 2.L0w pH cleaner Using the technique of Example 1, a cleaner was made from 12 parts tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, 53 water, 5 isopropanol, 5 pine oil, 20 propylene glycol and 5 sodium stearate. It was a pale straw liquid with a pH of 10.2, and remained a clear liquid even when held at 35 F. for 18 hours. It had cleaning and disinfecting properties equivalent to the cleaner of Example 1, despite the much lower pH.

Example 3.L0w pH cleaner with commercial soap Example 2 was repeated, but substituting a commercial soap (Ivory Flakes) for the sodium stearate. The product had the same pH and was equivalent in use. However, it separated into two layers on storage at 35 F. for 18 hours; the two phases recombined when the separated product Was allowed to come back to ambient temperatures.

Example 4.-High soap cleaner Example 2 was repeated, except that 5 parts of propylene glycol was replaced by 5 parts of sodium stearate. The product had a pH of 9.9; it solidified on storage at 35 F. for 18 hours, but on being allowed to come to ambient temperatures, was again :a clear liquid indistinguishable from freshly made material. It was an excellent cleaner, when used.

Obviously, these examples can be multiplied indefinitely without departing from the invention, which is defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A clear, germicidal, liquid cleaner, having resistance to near-freezing temperatures consisting essentially of about 50 to 60 parts by weight of water, about 3 to about 12 parts by weight of alkali metal phosphate, about 5 to about 10 parts by weight of a liquid water-miscible alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, ethyl ether of ethylene glycol and butyl ether of ethylene glycol, about 15 to about 25 parts by Weight of a liquid water-miscible glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol and dipropylene glycol, about parts by weight of pine distillate, and about 5. to about 10 parts by Weight of an alkali metal soap of a fatty acid, at least about 10% of the alkali metal content of said cleaner from said phosphate and said soap of a fatty acid being potassium and the balance sodium.

2. A clear, germicidal liquid cleaner, having resistance to near-freezing temperatures consisting essentially of about 50 to 60 par-ts by Weight of Water, about 3 to about 12 parts by weight, of alkali metal phosphate, about 5 to about. 10 parts by weight of a liquid Water-miscible alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, ethyl ether of ethylene glycol and butyl ether of ethylene glycol, about 15 to about parts by Weight of a liquid water-miscible glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol and dipropylene glycol, about 5 parts. by weight of pine distillate, and about 5 parts to about 10 parts by Weight of an alkali metal soap of a fatty acid, at least about of the alkali metal content of said liquid cleaner from said phosphate and said so-ap of a fatty acid being potassium and the balance sodium, the composition having a pH of below 10.5.

3. A liquid clear, germicidal cleaner, having resistance phate and said soap of a fatty acid being at least 50% potassium and the balance sodium.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1940 Figg r 252107 2/1962 Doan 252138 XR OTHER REFERENCES The Chemical Formulary, Bennett, vol. I, N.Y., D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., 1933, pages 83-84.

The Modern Soap and Detergent Industry, Martin, London, 1950, vol. 1, pages I, II, 17, and I, V, 9.

LEON D. ROSDOL, Primary Examiner.

S. E. DARDEN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CLEAR, GERMICIDAL, LIQUID CLEANER, HAVING RESISTANCE TO NEAR-FREEZING TEMPERATURES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF ABOUT 50 TO 60 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF WATER, ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 12 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF ALKALI METAL PHOSPHATE, ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A LIQUID WATER-MISCIBLE ALCOHOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METHANOL, ETHANOL, PROPANOL, ISOPROPANOL, ETHYL ETHER OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL AND BUTYL ETHER OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL, ABOUT 15 TO ABOUT 25 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A LIQUID WATER-MISCIBLE GLYCOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, DIETHYLENE GLYCOL AND DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, ABOUT 5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF PINE DISTILLATE, AND ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF AN ALKALI METAL SOAP OF A FATTY ACID, AT LEAST ABOUT 10% OF THE ALKALI METAL CONTENT OF SAID CLEANER FROM SAID PHOSPHATE AND SAID SOAP OF A FATTY ACID BEING POTASSIUM AND THE BALANCE SODIUM. 